It took me a while to retrace my steps back to the hatching zone. Both because I had to avoid several new and terrible things that wanted to kill me (don’t even get me started on the butterflies that sprayed acid) and because I was terrified.

  But I couldn’t run for my life forever. I had to do something to get out of this hell hole, and Meebur was my best shot.

  After another day spent running, hiding, and even disguising myself with leaves to avoid detection from a horde of hungry caterpillars (which turned out to make them want to eat me even more), I finally returned to the hatching zone. I approached slowly in the bushes, hoping that if the hawk was present I could turn tail and run before it noticed me.

  But the hawk wasn’t there. Neither was the mysterious masked figure.

  In their place was something that may have been even scarier.

  Standing by the empty nests that lined the river was a tall man that looked like he was carved out of a mountain. His arms were thicker than some tree trunks, and the white linen shirt and brown leather jacket he wore were nearly ripped as they stretched over his body. He had a bushy beard, and his hair was long, unruly, and mostly chestnut with white streaks in it. On his back was a massive spear made of gold and stone. But despite the size of his muscles and the spear, what scared me most about the man was the look on his face.

  In both this life and the last, I had never seen an expression that better exemplified the phrase “quiet anger”. His presence pulsated rage to the point that I nearly fainted looking at him, but he made no movement or noise for some time.

  “I have failed…” the man finally whispered through gritted teeth. It was hard to hear him, but my ears had been on high alert for days listening for predators. And now it looked like I had found the most dangerous one in the entire forest.

  Text box, don’t tell me he’s…

  The Almanac entry for “Meebur” has been updated to now include an image.

  Oh, no…that’s my tamer.

  I let out a deep sigh, and immediately regretted it. Like a bolt of lightning, Meebur’s head turned in my direction, and with two inhumanly large steps, he was in front of the bush I was hiding in. It all took less than a second.

  Though I wanted to do whatever I could to hide my presence, nothing could stop me from shaking in fear. I was quivering so much that even some of the leaves of the bush fell off. I looked up, through the gaps in the branches and that giant, mountain of a man was looking straight at me with piercing black eyes.

  Just as I expected him to take out that spear and slice me in half for merely disturbing him, Meebur’s expression changed from fury…to the happiest tears I had ever seen.

  “Thank the gods one of you survived!” He said, reaching a huge hand down to grab and pull me into an embrace. It wouldn’t be right to call it a hug, as it was crushing me nearly to death. I let out what I thought would be my final squeak, and luckily it snapped Meebur back to reality and he let me go.

  “Sorry, little guy. I’m simply more grateful than I can describe.” He carried me over to the nests and set me down in one. He somehow knew exactly which nest I had been born in and sat down next to it. “And I’m also more ashamed than I can describe. I can never apologize enough for being absent at your birth. And not being here to protect you and your siblings. I thought I had time to gather the food needed for you all, but I was gone too long. Nothing can take back what has been done to you.”

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  There was genuine shame and regret on the man’s face. His head was down, not even able to look me in the eye. I didn’t know much about him, but I had a sudden belief that Meebur was a good person. And that I was safe with him.

  With his head down and eyes closed, Meebur didn’t see as I crawled out of the nest and onto his leg. I couldn’t speak, but as his eyes opened I think he realized what I was trying to say.

  I forgive you.

  The second I felt like I could relax, the intensity of my short life hit me all at once. If he was a threat, I no longer had the energy to run. Before I could see his reaction (more happy tears I assume), I passed out from exhaustion in Meebur’s lap.

  * * * *

  Turns out running for your life right after being born can be very tiring.

  Who knew?

  I wasn’t sure how long I had been asleep, but something told me it had been days.

  And then the text box added a Calendar and Clock to my menu, confirming that I had in fact been asleep for three days. I also learned that despite the multiple suns and moons in the sky, days were a similar length in this world as they were in my last one.

  My eyes adjusted to the light faster than it did after cracking myself out of the egg. I wasn’t in the nest by the river anymore. I was on a massive cushion in what looked like a very humble cottage. The windows were open and a warm breeze brought in the smell of sweet flowers from outside. There was fruit and bread in a nearby kitchen, and a burning flame in a brick fireplace.

  It felt like the safest place that had ever existed. But compared to where I had been born, everywhere else was likely to be pretty spectacular.

  “There’s food here for you. When you’re ready.” Meebur said, and I looked around to see his head through one of the cottage windows. I noticed an array of small plates in front of the cushion I had been sleeping on. There were maybe a dozen options that ranged from whole berries to crushed berries, chunks of roasted meat to chunks of raw meat, and several types of seeds, syrups, and leafy greens.

  Meebur wasn’t certain what I wanted to eat, so had given me choices. It was intensely kind for someone to go so far for such a small little blob of a creature. If I had ever been given such a thoughtful meal in my past life, the memory of it didn’t surface.

  Once I took my first bite, I realized I hadn’t really eaten since being born. Adrenaline had been keeping me going while on the brink of starvation. By the time Meebur came back inside and sat across from me, I had already emptied half of the plates.

  “When you’re finished, I have something else for you.” Meebur said. “After what you have been through, I’m not sure what kind of monster you will become. My original goal was to tame Glade Guardians, but you could become…well, whatever you become will be wonderful. All my monsters are.” He smiled wide, and I suddenly wondered what I had ever found scary about him.

  Text box, what does he mean “after what I’ve gone through”?

  I will continue the text box regarding species selection I had originally sent before you closed it prematurely.

  Are you annoyed I interrupted you-

  In this world, the species of monsters are chosen when they become Level 1.

  The species is determined based on the experiences of the monster while still a level 0 Hatchling.

  Based on the experiences? So…the monster I become will be determined based on the days I spent fleeing for my life?

  That is correct.

  Oh, no. I’m going to become a chicken!